The millers' daughters' groom
Once upon a time, there was a mausherz who had a beautiful daughter. As she came of age, he started to search for a husband for her, but no-one was quite good enough. One was poor, the other ugly, the next one poor and ugly. Finally, he found a man who was both handsome and rich, and the two got engaged.
But the mausherz girl didn't love her future husband. So she stayed at home, and let her fiancé come to her. Until one day, her fiancé asked: 'Why don't you ever visit me? I always have to come to you!' 'Then tell me where you live my dear, I would come over if I knew.' 'I live in the forest, in my house between the trees.' 'the forest is large, can you be more specific please?' 'Next Sunday I'll leave a trail of ash so you can find me then.' 'If you do that, I suppose I can.'
And that Sunday, she went to the forest. She wore her best clothes, and though she still didn't love him, she was curious what her fiancées' home would be like. And she packed her pockets with peas, so that she could leave a trail and find the way home. When she arrived at the brim of the forest, she saw the trail of ash that he had promised her, and she started to follow it.
The trail led her deeper and deeper into the forest. She kept dropping peas, so that behind her there wer two trails, one light green and one dark grey. Suddenly, she heard a noise. A 'click', not far behind her. She quickly turned around, and from behind a tree came a man holding a crossbow! The girl woged in fear, and started to panic as she realized the man was a grimm. But he lowered the crossbow, and smiled sheepishly. 'I'm sorry. I am not hunting for mausherz, you know. Just searching the forest for the wendigo.' The girl sighed with relief. The grimm continued: 'Well, if you see them, please tell me. I will not rest untill I kill all three!' Then he took off through the undergrowth. He didn't ask her where she was going, nor had he noticed the ash trail. He hadn't even told her where she could contact him if she had had information. The girl shook her head, and continued following the ash trail.
At long last, she arrived at a wooden house. There was no light coming from the windows, but the ash trail ended at the door. She knocked, and the door was answered by a little old lady. 'You aren't here for him, are you, dear?' she asked, a worried expression on her face. 'Come in quick, I'll hide you, he is not yet here.' The old lady rushed the girl in as fast as she could. 'He probably promised to marry you?' 'That, lady, is what he promised, it is true.' 'He is evil and vile, as are they all three. Just sit here and be quiet, and you'll see.' And she made the girl sit down behind a barrel, where she could see but not be seen. And soon, three men entered the house. They dragged along a girl of her own age. Her fiancé, who seemed to be the leader, yelled: 'Dinner is here! Have you prepared all, old lady?' 'Yes master, all is here, clean and ready.' And so, the men killed the girl, and then cut her up. The mausherz girl watched in horror as the three ate, and she now understood that they were the wendigo the grimm had been talking about.
While they were eating, they searched the girl for valuables. One had an eye on the golden ring on her finger. He tried to pull it off, but it wouldn't go of and he cut of her finger to get to it that way. But the finger dropped from the table, and bounced on the ground... right into the mausherz girl's lap! He started to look for it on the ground, but the old lady said: 'That ring and that finger won't run away, go search it tomorrow by the light of day.' The wendigo shrugged and turned his attention to the horrible meal again.
When the three wendiggo had consumed the whole girl, they fell fast asleep. The old woman got the girl from behind the barrel, and urged her to go. The girl didn't protest, and looked for the ash trail. She couldn't find it, for the wind hat blown it away, but she found the heavier peas, and followed it out of the forest. Back at home, she told her father what she had seen. When she had finished her tale, her father cried: 'Oh my girl, I don't know what to do! I can't break this promise, but I don't want to lose you!' And he was so afraid of his future son-in-law that he couldn't do anything to help her.
The girl didn't know what to do either. She went to the church, and there she prayed and prayed until her throat was so dry that she couldn't speak anymore. When she left the church, someone in the portal asked her: Dear girl, I've seen you in there, praying without rest. Is there something you need of your chest?' It was a poor traveler, a reinigen with a friendly face. 'yes' she spoke quietly, 'but I don't think you'll be able to help me. My future husband wants to eat me, you see?' The reinigen nodded, and they sat down, and she told him everything. He nodded again, and said: 'He'll have his wedding,, but he won't eat you. Listen up, this is what we do...' And he revealed an ingenious plan that would rid the world of the three wendigo. She went home, and slept well for the first time in weeks, while the reinien went around town, making preparations for the wedding.
When the day of the wedding arrived, almost the whole village went to attend it. The groom only brought his two friends. 'I had a most fascinating dream, husband mine.' The bride told the groom, as they waited before entering the church. 'I'll tell you about it, one part at a time.' And she told him the first part of her dream: 'I found a house in the forest green, quiet my dear, it was only a dream.' When they entered the church, she said: 'Then behind a barrel in the house I creep, calm my dear, it was all in my sleep.' They passed the reinigen as they walked up to the altar. He winked. She talked on: 'There were three men who killed and ate a girl in there. Hush, my dear, it was a nightmare.' They stood before the altar, and the priest wanted to start the ceremony, when she looked the wendigo in the eye, and spoke: 'A ringed finger landed in my lap with a leap.' With these words she got out the finger and held it up, for everyone to see: 'You where there, dear, and I wasn't asleep!' The three wendigo tried to flee, but were caught immediately by the reinigens' friends, and were led outside where the grimm was ready to execute them for their many crimes.
Then the reinigen kneeled for the mausherz girl, and asked her for her hand. And though he was neither rich nor handsome, her father approved of the wedding, for his courage and his good heart more than made up for it.
The two got married the same night, and lived happily ever after.
Right! Second story! This one is much closer to the original than the last story, but it works, doesn't it? Thanks for all the reviews,
I plan on updating every monday, but I'll have to skip next week, because I'm going to go on holiday. If I have the time, I'll publish two chapters at once the Monday after that.